Rosacea: caffeine kick for the skin?

Lisa Vogel studied departmental journalism with a focus on medicine and biosciences at Ansbach University and deepened her journalistic knowledge in the master's degree in multimedia information and communication. This was followed by a traineeship in the editorial team. Since September 2020 she has been writing as a freelance journalist for

More posts by Lisa Vogel All content is checked by medical journalists.

So far, high coffee consumption has been considered a risk factor for rosacea. In fact, the opposite could be the case: Heavy drinkers develop the inflammatory skin disease significantly less often.

The finding is based on the evaluations of a study in which more than 82,700 nurses were asked about their coffee consumption, among other things. Almost 5000 of them were diagnosed with rosacea.

Participants who drank four cups of coffee or more a day suffered 25 percent less often from skin inflammation on the face. A surprising result, because until now coffee consumption was considered a possible trigger for the disease. "Our results do not support the limitation of coffee consumption as a preventive measure for rosacea," write the researchers led by Dr. Suyun Li from Qingdao University in China and Harvard Medical School.

Caffeine narrows the blood vessels

One possible explanation is the vasoconstricting effects of caffeine. In rosacea, the blood vessels in the face are abnormally dilated. This encourages foci of inflammation to develop. The effects of caffeine could weaken this mechanism.

The influence of caffeine on the hormone level, in particular on the concentration of the stress hormones adrenaline, noradrenaline and cortisol, would be a possible explanation. The daily coffee stimulates the release of these hormones, which makes the heart beat faster and the blood pressure rises.

No caffeine, no effect

It is unclear whether the caffeine in coffee is actually responsible for the connection. This is supported by the fact that decaffeinated coffee does not protect against rosacea. On the other hand, other caffeinated foods such as chocolate, tea and cocoa showed no protective effect. Another possible explanation for the effects of coffee: The antioxidants it contains could reduce the risk of illness.

However, it is not clear whether there is a direct connection between coffee consumption and a reduced risk of rosacea - further studies have yet to be clarified. It is also conceivable that there is a previously unknown common factor behind it.

Skin disease with psychological distress

Rosacea is a chronic skin disorder. Foci of inflammation develop in batches, especially on the face. After the skin becomes red, vesicles and small lumps form. Those affected suffer greatly from itching and the visual changes in the skin. Around two to five percent of adults in Germany suffer from the disease. A cure is not yet possible. With appropriate care and a change in lifestyle, however, the symptoms can be controlled.

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